Surgical truss and like appliance



Oct'. 7, 1930. A. J. PLUMB 1,773,001

I SURGICAL TRUSS` AND LIKE APPLIANCE Filed Sept.; 28, 1929 ZSheets-Sheet 1 l l. 5 JSM e www farn plawrg Oct. 7; 1930. A. J. PLUME Al 1,773,001

SURGICAL TRUSS AND LIKE APPLIANCE med sept. 2s, 1929 2 sheets-sheet 2Patented Oct. 7, 1930 UNITED. STATES P .frlaN'iy OFFICE:

An'rHUn JOHN BLUME, or NOTTINGHAM, ENGLAND SURGICAL TRUSS p AND LIKE'AFPI-LANCE Application led September 28, 1929, lSerial No. 395,973, andin Great Britain September 27, 1928.

This invention comprises improvements in f or relating to surgicaltrusses andlike appli- .ances and has more particular reference to iappliances employed for Vthe treatment of fr. 5 rupture and otherailments in connection with which pressure has to be applied'to theaffected part of the body,'the objectof the invention being ,to providean appliance which, as compared with existing appliances,

'5.10 will afford increased comfort to the wearerk and permit greaterfreedom of movement of the bodyv without displacing the appliance ,fromits adjusted position.

Additionally, the improved appliance is :Q constructedso as=to ensurethemost effective degree of'rpressure being maintained atthe 'exactrequired position or positions, and

zby so doing providexgreaterf relief'to the` wearer and expedite acureof the-rupture or flee other ailment. f' i Y 7 According to thisinvention ka surgical appliance *isv providedfcomprising a pad, a

retaining strap for said pad, a 'member-slidzable upon a .partsecuredVatv the rear of saidl 'ff-'25 pad,l said ,sliding member-.beinginterposed lbetween theA ends of the 'strap and a spring associated withsaid sliding member and resisting movement apart ofthe opposing ends ofthe strap.

"3o The pad or pads of the improved appliance4 is orare preferablyformed hollow or concave f "on the inner face, and` may in` some cases-have Va small plate memberfhinged at the.

" lower-most part so-as toapply upward pressure in the crotch beneaththe pad. n

i' In order that the inventionmaybe more readily understood referencelwill -now be made to the accompanying drawings, Where-y ruptureorhhernapY Fig. 2 illustrates an attachment for! apply- U15 inguplward `.pressurein the'crotch.n

` Fig.3 isfa ycross section ofthe padshown .rung-1. ,p Figa illustratesanappliance inaccord- 'ance with this invention foruse in connecfotionwitha double ',ruptlllelorilllrla@ Y rand on the other face with leather6*.

, illustratesone embodiment of 'the invention forius''im ConnetlpI-l'afs-mgl@ the member 7 by studs 8 or other yconvenient passesarivetlQanchored to the plate 6.

Fig. 5 shows a modified method of connecting the pads. i

Fig. 6 is an elevational View ofy a further modified method of mountingthe pad and the connections therefor.

Fig. 7 is an enlarged cross sectional elevation of the pad shown inFigure 6, and

Fig 8 illustrates a type of pad and method of mounting suitable for useas a kidney support or for other purposes.V

Referring to Fig. 1, an adjustable body belt is represented at 1 and thepad proper is shownat 2. This pad maybe of any usual or convenientconstruction, ybeing shaped as requirements dictate and preferably com-05 prising a covering of velvet or other suitable material 3. In thearrangement shown in Figure 3 the interior of the pad comprises twolayers of felt 2@ next to the velvet and a centre core oflsponge rubber2b, but as 70 previously stated any knownor convenient material may beutilized. When employed for treating rupture the` pad is advantageouslyof greater thickness along that edge adapted towbe disposed Anearest tothe hip of the wearer than at the opposite-edge.

- The pad is fixed by adhesive or other means to a metal plate 4 whichisalso preferably covered with velvet 3a which may be stitched to thevelvet' and thus constitute a means 80 for anchoring the pad totheplate. Passing through the plate 4 is a screw 5, pivotally mounted uponwhich is a metal plate 6, preferably covered on the one face with velvet3b In the arrangement shown the screw 5 is furnished with a headedsleeve 5, there being in addition to the said plate 6 a connecting baror plate 7 pivotally mounted upon the said sleeve. The one end of thebody belt is detachably connected to each extremity of spring beinganchored to the sleeve 5 and to 95 a screw or bolt l0. The said screw1() also passes through the last mentioned extremity of the body belt 1and near such extremity is formedv a V-shapedslot'll through whichRiveted to the body belt 1 is a metal strengthening plate v13 which isalso provided with a V-shaped slot coinciding with the slot 11. MountedeXteriorly of the body kextremity of the beltis capable of movementinthe direction 1of the arrow A against the resistance of the spring'9and is also capable of pivotal movement about the bolt 10 relatively tothe plate14, such pivotal movement being restrictedY by the triangularslot 11.

If va crotch strap is required this may be provided as indicated atl17,1,being preferably adjustable inflength as shown and being re!movably connected to the lower stud 8 so that lsuch strapi'sitselfcapable of adjustment by virtue of thefact that the member 7 carryingthepstud isv pivotally mounted as previously described. j l

vIt has been found in practice that in using lappliances in accordancelwith this invention 4 maximum Vfreedom of movement is obtained Ywithoutthe pad 2'being moved fromits adjusted position. In lthemodification shown in "Figure 2 the'padis'formed'with a depend- Qingportion 2f for the purposeof giving an upward? pressure inthe crotchV`if desired.

' vIn the arrangement showna Ametal proj ecting tongueI 4-"is hingedlyconnected as at 4" .to the`Y metal 'plate`4" the padand projection lbeing' suitably upholsteredand covered in any convenient manner.l

` In theiarrangementshown the crotch strap 17 'passes through keepersy18 located riorly ofthe vprojecting vpart 2 exte- I'n thekapplicationof.the 'inventionvto apv means. These l two "V'modications,arek illus tratedin Figures 4 and 5 respectively.`

' In 'thearrangement shown in'Fi/gure 4 a metal plate 6j preferablycovered with suitable material, is pivotally connected to thez i j,ymetal plate forming thebacking'of eachpad Y .2 bymeans of a screwedsleeve 5a. Each eX- ltremity of the bodybelt 'isdetachably yconnected tostuds 8 mounted uponl a member 7?? pivotally ymounted upon said screwed,sleeve '5a andthe crotchstraps 17 are also attached i 1 *tothe lovvervofthesaidstudsS, 'such straps-A being detachably and adjustablycennectedvat member 19 which is slidable in a slot 20 Y formed in a plate 'member21, such latter member being pivotally anchored at the end remotefromthat in which the slot 2() is formed by a screw or the like 22 towhich "the opposite end ofthe said spring is itself anchored. The saidmembers 19 and 22 may be carried directly by the said yplates 6 oralternatively by leather or'fother straps 23 facially attached thereto,such straps 23 be- -ing preferably provided with adjustingholesr 24 forthe reception of the screwed sleevea, thereby allowingthe relativepositionfof the straps and the pads 2 to be lreadilyaadjusted.

Thefpl'ates 6 may if desired be connected by elastic webbing orother'resilient connecting means indicated at 25 land strengtheningplates may also be provided! as indicated at It will be appreciated thatthe straps 23 arecapable of relative movement inthe direction of thelength of thel slotv 20V and are also capable of pivotal movementabout'the members" 19 and 22..l

f vIn the alternative arrangementishown in Figure '5 the members' 7 areVthemselvesl connected by springs 9 to'a connecting member 26.v Suchmember may comprise'two leather V straps 262:26 joined byv'a buckle 26C,such buckle allowing for the efective'lengthv ofr the connection 26being? adjusted. Riveted to the under side ofV each strap is la'imetalplate 27 and a slot 28 in each plate accommodates a pin' ortheylike`29projecting from lthe plate 6, thus Lproviding for longitudinal movementof each lof ysuch plates 6k against themselves allow for pivotalmovement about fthe' members 30,7, such latterVm-embers being:

y bolts orv screws carried by said plates '27 and.

v"ffpliances yforu'se in connection -with double "rupturesgor herniasthe resilient spring means may be located between the pads,4 or alterna7tivelythe body strapmay atl each extremity `be connectedtothe pads byseparate resilient forming the anchoring means for the one extremity ofeachfspring. Vlrtthe other extremity the springs areanchored tothescrewed sleeves 5a. f

tion shown in FigureV 5 the connection 26 allows of relative-movementoffthepads into and out ofthe paper in the manner `ofa e hinge, but vifdesired the buckle .276v `may` be replaced; gby a metal. or other form,of^hinge, means beingY again preferably provided Yforvaryingtheleffective length off thefconnection.4 l Y v Imodified 'methodl offlmounting the springs usedv inaccordancewith this ,inventionisshown in Figures 6 and 7. vThe,screw 5 passing thro-ugh' the plates 4andfis pro# vided with a sleeve 5aanda screwed head4 5*. Passingthroughthisheadfis aV rod. or' bolt the resistance ofl the springsQrelatively` to Y the connecting member 26 whilst the springs Y 115 Itwill be appreciated that in thelconstrucposes.

Ywhich functions to compress the spring is connected to the said sleeveor an extension thereto. Y

Figure 8 illustrates a construction suitable for use as a kidney supportor for other pur- T'he'belt is connected at one extremity to a plate 130and at the other extremity to a plate 81. Such latter plate is connectedVzo by springs 9 to an intermediate plate 32 and such intermediate plateis connected by adjustable straps 33 to the plate 130. The one end ofeach spring 9 is anchored to members 34 carried by the plate 31 and suchmembers 34 are slidable in slots 35 formed in metal plates 36, suchlatter plates being axially connected to the intermediate plate 32 Vandthe springs at the opposite extremity being anchored to members carriedby such plates. The pad for bearing upon the affected part of the bodyis conveniently anchored at one extremity to the outer end of the plate3l and at the other extremity it may be attachedby means such as arubber band 37 to that end of the plate 130 to which one end of the bodybelt is attached, the other end of such belt being removably connectedto studs 8 formed on a pivotal member 7, such latter member beinghingedly connected to the plate 31.

The retaining strap or belt l utilized with appliances in accordancewith this invention may be extensible or otherwise as desired but itwill be seen that the requisite freedom of movement of the body isobtained without relying upon the resilience of the retaining strap andwithout moving the pad from its adjusted positionv It will be seen thatin each embodiment of the invention herein described one end of thestrap or belt has pivotal connection with the plate that is attached tothe pad, as through the plate or lever 7 `that tothe other end o f thestrap there is connected a member, such as a plate, that has limited anddirected sliding movement relative to the plate connected to the pad,and that the spring or springs employed to constitute an extensibleconnection between the ends of the strap or belt is, or are, connectedat one end, either Y directly or indirectly, with the plate united withthe pad. In most of the forms of the invention illustrated theconnection of the spring'with the plate 6 is through the medium of thescrew 5 and the sleeve 5a turning thereon, thus giving a pivotalconnection between the plate and one end of the spring, aswell asadordinga pivotal connection between the plate and the pad;

Iclaim2- e 1. A surgical appliance comprising a pad, a retaining straptherefor, a plate united to the pad, a bar lever to the opposite ends ofwhich one end of the strap is connected permitting pivotal movement ofthe strap relative to the pad, a member having connection with the otherend of the strap and associated with the said plate so as to have alimited sliding movement relative thereto, and a spring interposedbetween the said sliding member and the said plate, operating to resistmovement apart of the opposite ends of the strap.

2. A surgical appliance comprising a pad, a retaining strap therefor, aplate at the rear of the pad, a pivotal connection uniting the plate andthe pad, a bar lever to the opposite ends of which one end of the strap1s connected, centrally supported upon the said pivotal connection, asliding plate at the rear of the pad, with which the other end of thestrap is connected, a guiding pin-and-slot mounting for the slidingplate, whereby it has limited movement relative to the plate

